Out of the blogging loop

Wow! I've been out of the blogging loop for some time now...since I started my new J-O-B in April. Work has really been working me. I admire those who still have the energy to blog after work because I know I don't have any energy when I come home. I have today off since I worked this pass wknd so I thought I pay a visit to the blogging world. I've been learning lots on the job and my caseload has been getting "bigger." Bigger in number and size wise of patients. It's been hard on me physically despite using proper body mechanics. Please ppl, eat healthy!! I've been on the Skilled Nursing Facility unit of the hospital since I've started and occasionally on the ortho floor. SNF is what I've been trying to steer clear of and I guess it's the universe's way of saying hey, you need to deal with what you don't want to deal with. Face it head on and come through it with a clearer picture. Although the SNF unit has been challenging, it's been also very rewarding. The most challenging part has been hearing patients say that they're tired of all of this and just want to die. The challenge is not in redirecting them but for me not to take on their "stuff." Well, that's all for now and I hope I get to visit back soon. I miss having time and energy to read other's blogs. Until next time...

New Hire Process

So today's process included filling out a stack of paperwork from A-Z. I've forgotten how much paperwork goes into this process. There were a group of 5 today for the new hire process and 2 (moi included) of us were for the OTR positions. The others were there for nursing, tech, and an administration position. After filling out all the different agreement and acknowledgment forms, etc., etc...oh yes and the direct deposit form (wahoooo)... I waited until it was my turn to turn them in and talk to the HR lady. I told her that we killed a lot of trees today. She replied something on the lines of you would think most of these things would be digital with the technology these days. I wonder if i'll still be alive when everything is digital. The earth would be so much happier if we'd stop killing all these trees. I've noticed that more and more people are "going green." Keep going green y'all! haha...ok, i'm off the topic.

After getting writer's cramp form filling out all those forms (ok, i'm exaggerating here but yeah go with it) I headed down to occupational health to get my blood drawn, TB test, give the urine sample of course (I really hate peeing in a cup), and some other test (fit test?) where they put a clear hood on you and spray saccharine in the hole to see if you taste it which you're suppose to then they spray again but this time you have a mask on and see if you taste it which you're not suppose to. The nurse told me that the particles of the saccharine are the same size as the TB so they wanted to make sure that the mask is the adequate size and that it would help protect you if you do come across a patient with TB. Well, that's my understanding of the test from what she explained to me.

Well folks, i'm another step closer to the "real world." Orientation begins next Monday!

Until next time...

The job hunt is over!

Wheeeeeew! The job hunt is officially over. I will be in the hospital setting and get to experience the different areas (rehab, acute, NICU, etc.). Finding a place of employment took me longer and it was harder than I expected. Some ppl may call me picky but I'm ok with that bc it's true...after all, it is the start of my career. I was on a mission to find a place that I feel I can mesh well with the people, a family-like atmosphere. I finally found a place that feels right for me. An advice that a lot of ppl told me was not to take the first job offer. Although an exhausting process, I'm glad I took the advice and went on interviews after interviews to see what's out there. Allow yourself some "shopping" time.

How I got my name out there? Well, I first posted my resume on Monster's and then I went to individual hospital or clinic websites and applied online. I should have done it vice versa (applied on individual sites then if needed post on Monster's).

Some of the key factors I kept in mind or asked about was if mentoring was available (i.e. assisting another OT in evals or co-treating for a couple of week or so), does the environment feel right (is it a good fit), opportunity to float around and soak up the knowledge in different areas or will I be stuck in one area of the hospital, and CEU allowance. I had more questions to ask in the interviews but those are the main ones I can think of right now. Oh yeah, last but not least "What separates you from your competitors?"

Also, BE YOURSELF!

Caregiver perspective

Something I meant to post during my FW level 2 but forgot about: There were several occassions that I saw this caregiver constantly yelling at his son to pick up his left leg. With every step he took, his father kept yelling lift up your darn left leg as he sorta pushed him along, stop dragging it, #$%@*! I felt extremely bad for him. What I should have done was ask the therapist if she had ever talk to the caregiver about caregiver burden and destressing techniques or something to that effect instead of only encouraging the patient along. I didn't understand why the caregiver could be so cruel.

Days go by, FW is almost over but the stress increases because I must perform perfectly, my mom's health was declining which meant the more demands on me to take care of her, deadlines for graduation and application for NBCOT, and the pile gets higher. I found myself stressed out and snapping at my mom. "Stop compensating and limping, bend your knee, you'll mess up your hips if you do that!" I realized that I was doing the same thing the other caregiver was doing, snapping! So I stepped back and checked in with myself on why I was acting the way I was. It was not only the stress but also the fear of losing my mom because her health was just declining. I was acting out of anger. I wasn't angry at her but at the disease...the osteoarthritis, glaucoma, cataracts, etc. I calmed myself down but still full of emotions and explained to my mom that when I snap, it's not because i'm mad at her but mad at the disease, that I didn't want to see her in such pain...i didn't want her to hurt anymore. Ever since then, I haven't snapped because I've learned to check in with myself when I feel that snappiness coming up, take my deep breaths, and go to my calm place.

I'm happy to say that my mom is doing better now too.

I PASSED the OT board exam!

Well, I found out yesterday that I passed. Wahoooooooo! The way I prepared for it did work after all but with lots of prayers too. Practice, practice, and practice. Actually, find out which way of studying is best for you and find out early enough so you have adequate time to prepare. Don't forget try to get a good night's rest too. Oh, this might sound silly to some but I also practiced two days in a row before exam day on what I ate and the time I ate because you don't want to be too full or get hungry during the test.

The Big Day

Ok, so I took the board exam today and gosh....what can I tell you...my back ached and my butt went numb. Sitting there for four hours with the time ticking down in front of my face was hard. My colleague said that it's more of an endurance test and I agree with him. For a profession that encourages their patients to take breaks and stretch, the board exam sure does not support that for their soon to be OTs. Sure, they say you can take a break but the time is still ticking away. To go to the restroom or to your locker, you have to sign out, sign back in, provide your 2 forms of identification, and get finger printed again...restroom break anyone? I don't think so. What I recommend is building up the endurance to sit without real breaks for 4 hours by test time. (Of course that is in my opinion...i'm not setting long term goals for you or anything.) I only took several seconds after each hour to stretch.

A lot of people have asked me how I prepared for it and I'll let you know if it worked once I get the results on Friday. I used the following books:
1. Occupational Therapy Examination Review Guide (3rd ed.), by Caryn Johnson
2. OTR Study Guide and Study Guide Supplement, by NBCOT
3. National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam Review and Study Guide, by Rita Cottrell & the Course Manual (this is only provided at the review course)

The Cottrell questions are much harder so don't get discouraged when you score yourself on these. I wish I didn't score myself (it was depressing) on these but just used them to go over rationales. The questions from the study guide from NBCOT and the Johnson book will give you a better idea of how the exam questions are worded.

I took the review course and followed the manual, read the chapters in the Cottrell book (cover to cover...not), ok so I skimmed it cover to cover, and took a week to practice questions. I wish I spent more time studying by practicing the questions and building up my endurance with more test taking simulations rather than reading the Cottrell. I learned more from reading the rationale for the answers than reading the chapters. I started out doing 10 questions in a row at 1 minute each then reviewing the rationale for the answers. Next 20 questions in a row, then 50, and building up to 200 in one sitting. After that, I only did one simulation of 200 question in one sitting without breaks. That was not enough. Do at least 2 simulations. I took the exam 2 months after graduation due to the Christmas holidays and training sessions I went to. So basically, I gave myself some breathing room by scheduling it a little later than most of my classmates but the whole studying process probably took about a month if I subtract my goof off time. Good luck to all who are going to take the board exam! Well, you won't need luck if you prepare really well.

Random Post

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.



By Oriah

© Mountaindreaming, from the book The Invitation published by
HarperSanFrancisco, 1999 All rights reserved